Continuous-motion line-assembly telecine with misregistration correction

Abstract

A continuous-motion line-array telecine has a solid-state sensor comprising linear array sensor elements (101, 201, 301). For multi-standard operation compensation is provided for vertical misregistration due to different linear array sensor positions as seen at the sensor plane. The compensation is provided by relative delays (160, 260, 360) corresponding to vertical scan shifts of integral numbers of lines, and vertical interpolation circuits (110, 210, 310) for interpolating between lines for compensating any misregistration equivalent to any residual non-integral vertical scan spacing.

I claim: 
     
       1. A continuous-motion line-array telecine, comprising a light source, means for continuously driving a cinematographic film through a film gate, means for illuminating at least a part of an aperture in the film gate with light from the light source, line array light sensor means, and a lens system for imaging the illuminated film in the film gate on the line array sensor means, the line array sensor means having multiple line array sensors arranged with their length transverse to the direction of movement of the image of the film for successively providing outputs representing colour components and/or luminance components of a line across the film, characterized by means for compensating vertical misregistration between the outputs of the line array sensors, the compensation means comprising delay means for providing relative delays corresponding to vertical scan shifts of integral numbers of lines, and vertical interpolation means for interpolating between signals representing a plurality of vertically adjacent line scans for compensating for misregistration equivalent to any residual non-integral vertical scan spacing. 
     
     
       2. A telecine according to claim 1, in which the delay means provides relative delays which are an integral multiple of the read-out scanning period of the sensors. 
     
     
       3. A telecine according to claim 1, including means coupled to the interpolator output for providing gamma correction of the signal. 
     
     
       4. A telecine according to claim 3, including de-emphasis means coupled prior to the gamma correction means and complementary equalisation means coupled subsequent to the gamma correction means. 
     
     
       5. A telecine according to claim 4, in which the de-emphasis means is constituted by the interpolation means. 
     
     
       6. A telecine according to claim 1, in which the interpolation means comprises a plurality of delay elements, means for multiplying the resultant plurality of signals by appropriate coefficients, and means for summing the resultant signals. 
     
     
       7. A telecine according to claim 1, in which a luminance output signal is generated using a higher line standard than is used for the colour output signals, and including means for up-converting the line standard of the colour signals.